Graham Nesbit is tired of seeing that blue and white. The picture of the falcon that looks more like an eagle. Especially when the Falcons are celebrating.

In his four years at Pasadena Poly, the Panthers water polo team has faced Crescenta Valley eight times. In all but his freshman season, the Falcons have come away a winner.

“We want to play them again,” Nesbit said earlier this season. “We’re tired of losing to them.”

The senior will get to see those same players for the third time this season when the teams meet in the CIF- Southern Section Division 5 semifinals tonight. The match will be played at Mt. SAC with a 7:30 p.m. start and follow the other semifinal game, Bonita against La Serna.

“My guys are looking forward to playing them again,” Poly coach Ryan Katsuyama said. “They’re looking forward to winning the game. We think we have a chance to beat them.”

This year the Falcons, the top seed in the tournament, have defeated the Panthers 9-6 and 8-6. The Falcons defeated the Panthers in the CIF-SS semifinals two years ago and in the quarterfinals last year. The Panthers are 1-7 against CV, having defeated the Falcons in a nonleague regular-season game in 2007.

“This is definitely a rivalry,” Katsuyama said. “Crescenta Valley has everything to lose as the top seed, we have nothing to lose.”

Both teams are obviously familiar with each other. In addition to playing each other, many are teammates on the Rose Bowl Aquatic team.

“In water polo, that can be an advantage,” Katsuyama said.

“Of course, they are very familiar with us, too.”

The teams met at Poly in the third week of the season and then in the Oxnard tournament. In the first game, the Panthers converted only 2 of 12 six-on-five opportunities. They converted all three in the second game.

“That is something we have been working on,” Katsuyama said.

“We’re capable of doing it right. If we’re right there after three quarters, then it could be one shot, one six-on-five or one defensive stop that decides it.”

The winner of the game will play the Bonita-La Serna winner at 11:40 a.m. Saturday at Irvine High.

Volleyball all-star game

There will be a west San Gabriel Valley all-star volleyball match, pitting private- school players against public- school players, on Dec. 11.

The top seniors will face off in a five-game match at La Salle High School. A three- game up-and-coming match, for sophomores and juniors, will precede the senior match.